Apparatus for maintaining constant temperature on a portion of the body



Jan. 19 1926.

s. L. OWENS APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING coNsTANT TEMPERATURE ON A FSNT'IONOF THE non! Orizinal Filed July 3. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19, 1926.1,569,877

5. L, OWENS APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING CONSTANT TEMPERATURE ON A PORTIONOF THE BODY Original Filed July :5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan.19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL LOGAN OWENS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING CONSTANT TEMPERATURE ON A PORTION OF THE BODY.

Application filed July 3, 1924,Seria1 No. 723,980. Renewed December 1,1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, SAMUEL LOGAN OWENS, citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for MaintainingConstant Temperature on a Portion of the Body, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to containers for cooling or heating mediaadapted to be readily and properly attached to any part of the body,whether human or animal, maintaining the same in warm or cool conditionas may be required.

The main object of this invention is to furnish a thermal or temperatureretaining container that will readily adapt itself to any part of thebody and be retained in a fixed position as long as in use.

The apparatus is primarily intended for the use of physicians ingeneral, particularly surgeons and their assistants in connection withtheir professional work such as opera tions when the room temperature ishigh, but the device is also found to be very use ful for other personsexposed to excessive heat. This isvery desirable in the case of asurgeon or other medical man, because without such a cooling device theperspiration is apt to run down his'forehead, dim his eyesight whendropping from his face, and fall into the field of operation, with the vconsequent risk of serious contamlnation.

The device is then applied as an ice cap I over the top and around theforehead and back of the head. It is firmly secured in such a mannerthat. four, six, or any suitable number of distinct compartments areformed in the container. This arrangement is made so that the ice,broken up into convenient size preferably in the form of shavings, orwater or other fluid or semi-fluid cannot pass around in the bag but beconfined in the parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. i

In the drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3 represent respectively front, side andrear elevations of the ap paratus as applied on a persons head forkeeping the same cool during surgical operations or other work;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views of the apparatus as applied to apatient for cooling his neck after an operation;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a section along line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view of the apparatus closed; and

Fig. 10 a fragmentary erspective view of the apparatus closed a terhaving been filled. I v

In the drawings reference numeral 15 represents the apparatusconstructed in the sha' e of along, narrow bag of cylindrical, ova orany other suitable cross section. As illustrated the tubularmember orbag is flat sided which isconsidered the best shape for securing itfirmly on the body. The end 16 of the bag is closed but the end 17 isopen permittin the easy filling of the bag which is made 0 some suitablewaterproof materal such as soft rubber, rubberized silk, mercerizedcotton, or the like. Balloon covering is considered avery good materialto use;

A convenient size of the bag for wrapping around the head is aboutthirty-six inches length and one and one-half inches diameter, or acapacity of about one quart of water.

At the closed end 16 of the bag is formed an ear 18 for a shortconnecting cord 19. A short distance below the open end 17 of the bag isfurnished on the outside a rein: forcing strip 20 on each side thereof.Each strip hasa loose flap 21 substantially rectangular in shape andpointing in the direction of the mouth of the open end 17. The flap hastwo or more perforations 22 for a closingflstring 23.

Below each flap 1s shown another re1nforcing piece 24:, which carries asmall car 25.

WVhen using the apparatus as a cooling device for the head of a surgeon,for m stance, the bag is first filled to its capacity with ice of aconvenient size. The pliable mouth of the open end 17 makes this a veryeasy operation. The mouth is next closed by pressing the sides of theopen end together and doubling it and rolling it upon itself a few turnsas at 26, Figs. 9 and 10, whereupon the flaps 21 are folded over therolled portion and the string 23 taken back and forth through theperforations 22 in both flaps and the ends tied together. No leakage ofmelted ice can then take place through the mouth of the bag.

The apparatus is now ready to be applied on apersons head. To cool thehead and to prevent perspiration from running down the face and the neckthe best manner to secure it is indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The bottom or closed end is then placed with the ear 18 against themiddle of the forehead, then the bag; is taken around the head oncedirectly above the ears and where meeting the car 18, the bag is tiedwith the short cord 19 tightly. The loose portion of the bag isthereupon taken over the top of the head to the nape of the neck andunder the ring already formed to p ovide a loop around the same as at:27. Figs. 9 and 3. The month end of the bag is then tied by the ends ofthe cord 23 or another cord by threading it through the ears 25 andaround the bag. itself as at 28 of the same figures Finally stillanother cord 29 is taken a couple of turns around the bag at the topofthe head as at 30 and both endsztightened around the ha; overthepersons ears as at 31 and tied securely. In this manner the apparatusis not only attached very firmly to the head' so that it cannot come oifor shift around when the person moves his head in any direction; but sixdistinct compartments have been formed in the bag to break up the wavemotion. These compartments have been indicated by reference numerals 32.33, 34. 36 and 37 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6. these show theapplication ofthe apparatus to the neck of'a patient. Unless the upperpart of the patients head is required to be cooled at the same. time,the bag is now only partly filled. with iceshavings. fluid orsemi-fluid. After closing the mouth of the bag as already described, thetwo ends of the bag are brought together so that the contents arepermitted. to collect in. the middle portion thereof, the end portionsremaining; empty. The middle portion. 38 of the bag is then laid aroundthe neck, under the chin and ears of the patient. The end portions 30and 40. which are empty and consequently to exits."

collapsed, are then crossed at the nape of the neck as at 11 where acord is tied around the bag so that the portion or con'ipartment 38 willbe closed from the compartments .9 and 4&0. The latter are then takenover the ears of the patient and united at the forchead by cord 19 whichis taken through the ears The use of the device as a hotbag is noditterent from the above described and the application to other parts ofthe body than the head or neck may be readily understood.

Aside from the use of the container bv physicians and patients. it isreadily applicable for general use by persons exposed I. beat, such asfiremen. furnace and rolling" mill workers. chefs. and others.

Having now described the invention. 1 claim:

1. IL container of the class described comprising' a tubular member ofresilient material closed at one end, elements adapted to eliectuallyclose the open end of the member. said eltlilelliS connin'ising wideflaps arranged oppositely on the sides of the tubular memher. and meansfor fixedly securing; said member to a part of the human or animal body,said means including ears arranged oppositely alongthe sides of thetubular member below said elements and another ear at the closed end ofthe member and cords adapted to be tied around the container at suitableplaces and to said ears thereby dividing the container into a pluralityof substantially non-communicating. compartn'ients, thus breaking up thewave motion of the contents.

2. A container of the class described comprising a tubular member ofresilient material closed at one end, elements adapted to eli'ectuallyclose the open end of the member. and means for fixedly securing saidmember to a part of the human 0 animal body, said elements includingreinforcing, short s! rips arranged on opposite sides of said memberbelow the open end and provided with flaps adapted to fold over the samewhen the open end is rolled around itself, said flaps'havmg aperturesand a string engaging in said apertures, said means including otherstrips adjacent said first strips and provided with ears below saidflaps "and. another car at the closed end of the member, and cordsadapted to be tied around the container at suitable places and to saidears thereby dividing the container into' a plurality of substantiallynonconimunicating compartments, thus breaking up the wave motions of thecon tents. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL LOGAN OTVENS.

